Investing During A Recession 

Over the last few months, we’ve talked a lot about market volatility and recession fears, and there’s been one particular question on everyone’s lips: “Where should I put my money?” Because not only do we want to make sure our money will be there for us when we need it, we also want to make sure our money is doing good, for the world, for the environment, and for the social causes we care most about. (If you do a simple Google search for “best investments during a recession,” you’ll often notice recommendations to buy stocks in the oil and gas, or tobacco and firearms industries… But in this episode, we’re going to investigate where we can put our money that’s NOT there.) 

We’re doing it all with Loretta McCarthy, Co-CEO and Managing Partner of Golden Seeds, an investment organization that invests in early-stage, women-led companies in the United States. Golden Seeds is one of the largest and most active angel investment networks in the country, and since 2005 has invested over $170 million in more than 225 women-led companies. 

Listen in as Loretta tells Jean how she got started investing, and the changes she’s seen in the industry over the years. (Good news — there are more women investors today than ever before!) She also weighs in on some of the moves that smart investors tend to make during a recession or economic downturn, and how we can do the same. 

We also discuss angel investing — Loretta walks us through how to get involved in an angel investing group if it’s something we’ve considered but weren’t sure how to get started. And we talk about ESG investing — environmental, social and governance — because so many of us want to do well while also doing good. Loretta tells us how to find the best companies and funds, and why she thinks assets in ESG funds have risen 38% in the past year, to hit $2.7 trillion. She tells us how we can know if we’re truly buying into a company or a fund that we can be proud of, and what kind of vetting needs to take place before we invest. 

Jean and Loretta dive into how we can elevate women to more positions of power within the financial world ( today just 1.4 percent of all assets at U.S.-based firms are managed by firms owned by women or people of color.) And we also discuss how to advocate for your fellow woman and help her succeed. In Mailbag, we answer questions on the best investing apps, and checking your credit after you’ve frozen it. In Thrive, a rundown on the best online shopping hacks. 

If you’re interested in investing, you can learn more about Golden Seeds here. And if you’re an entrepreneur seeking funding, here’s a look at resources for you. You can also follow Golden Seeds on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.